Exploring teacher identity development: Asian teaching assistants' experience at a U.S. university

Abstract

This study explored the teacher identity development of Asian teaching assistants (ATA) at a U.S. university. The researchers used a qualitative design with two semi‐structured interviews with each of the three participants. Findings suggest that ATAs were unprepared for racial diversity and experienced anti‐Asian sentiment in the classroom during the COVID‐19 pandemic. They struggled to make sense of the content of the courses they were teaching due to a lack of systematic training. Some constructed teacher identity through a challenging process: moving from being self‐doubting, nervous, and frustrated to being comfortable, confident, and even creative. The findings suggest that universities should pay attention to the preparation of international teaching assistants (ITA) for teaching in a multicultural U.S. context with unfamiliar student expectations for teaching and learning.